Some tech workers questioned whether UPS drivers deserved high pay — others jumped in to note the importance of the jobs and harsh working conditions.

cross-posted from: https://yiffit.net/post/1029567

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2936916

Tech workers react to UPS drivers landing a $170,000 a year package with a mixture of anger and admiration::Some tech workers questioned whether UPS drivers deserved high pay — others jumped in to note the importance of the jobs and harsh working conditions.

  • Bonehead@kbin.social
    21·
    1 year ago

    Actually, I did do it. I was in IT for 20 years, 10 of it doing tech support. Now I deliver mail. Best decision of my life. And it is surprisingly easy for someone with a tech background. Sure, there’s a lot of physical labour involved. And winters suck with the massive increase in Christmas parcels and mail on top of the shitty weather. But summers are light and I’m outdoors most of the day.

    The sad part is that this job will eventually lead to a 6 figure salary. By the time I left IT, my wage had stagnanted for a decade and I couldn’t see any path to 6 figures. It’s not that delivery drivers don’t deserve that kind of salary…we do for the work during the crunch times. It’s that IT workers deserve a union that will back them up and get them that salary.

    If I’m up at 2am fixing a crashed server before the 6am reports are generated, and I still put in a full day the next day to do the post-mortem analysis, I deserve more than some encouraging words and a half day at some point in the future that I’ll never have the chance to take.

    • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
      4·
      1 year ago

      The sad part is that this job will eventually lead to a 6 figure salary […] It’s not that delivery drivers don’t deserve that kind of salary

      So it sure sounds like you’re saying they don’t deserve it lol

      • Bonehead@kbin.social
        2·
        1 year ago

        It’s really not, as evident by the statement immediately after that you left out.

        …we do for the work during the crunch times.

        The sad part was that I wasted at least 10 years of my life trying to achieve something that I eventually had to accept was never going to happen. I think I deserved a 6 figure salary for the work I was doing in IT. Other people had achieved it doing the same work. But after the last layoff and not being able to find something that wasn’t pure tech support for less money that I had been making before, I had to make a difficult decision. And that decision is going to finally lead to the salary I want.

        • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
          1·
          1 year ago

          But what you’re saying is “they don’t deserve it, I do!”

          You’re literally saying it’s “sad” that delivery jobs will lead to a 6 figure salary i.e. they don’t deserve it.

          As if this is a zero sum game.

          • Bonehead@kbin.social
            1·
            1 year ago

            Again, it’s really not.

            It’s that IT workers deserve a union that will back them up and get them that salary.

            Everyone deserves the same chance for reward for doing the same work. Everyone.

              • Bonehead@kbin.social
                1·
                1 year ago

                Again…

                The sad part was that I wasted at least 10 years of my life trying to achieve something that I eventually had to accept was never going to happen.

                I had to leave a 20 year IT career in order to get what I was looking for. Delivery drivers deserve every last cent they fought for. It’s just a shame that IT works don’t have someone fighting for them collectively.

                • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
                  0·
                  1 year ago

                  Again

                  The sad part is that this job will eventually lead to a 6 figure salary.

                  Why. Is. It. Sad. That. Delivery. Drivers. Get. A. Six. Figure. Salary.

                  Nothing else you’re saying takes away from the fact that you literally said this.

                  • Bonehead@kbin.social
                    2·
                    1 year ago

                    I’ve edited my comment for clarity.

                    Seriously, stop focusing on your misinterpretation of a single statement…

    • Necronomicommunist@lemmy.world
      4·
      1 year ago

      I think all workers deserve a union that gets them all they can get. The problem is that unions are the workers. Organising labour has been a struggle for decades. I just hope hearing about things like this invites others to take note and organise their workplace too.